Sangre de Cristo

Location:

Situated within the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness & the Rio Grande National Forest, west of Colorado Springs, in south-central Colorado.

History:

Spanish Conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, explorers John Fremont and Zebulon Pike opened the trails here. Much later they were followed by Butch Cassidy and other hunted men who rode through on their way to Cimarron, New Mexico and other hangouts in West Texas. The murderously infamous Kid Curry (Harvey Logan) spent his last winter at the Lamb Ranch north of Westcliffe. Previously after the Wilcox Train Robbery, Logan arrived with two cowboys, Jim Lowe (Butch) and Harry Alonzo (Sundance) driving horses to Alma.

Ride:

A memorable journey through some of the most remote, spectacular mountains in North America – far from crowded trails and back-packing hordes. Through forgotten valleys of the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness, this horseback riding adventure is for fit confident riders, crossing 13,000 feet passes, riding 6-7 hours daily and traversing remote trails above the timberline. We utilize all hands on this mobile expedition, everyone participates in saddling and care for the horses. Travel back into history through the Wet Mountains and Wet Mountains Valley. Through age-old aspen, spruce and pine forest, we pass mule deer, porcupine, wild turkey, rabbits and snowshoe hares. Taking packhorses through low-lying bogs, downfall timber, groves of evergreen, past fields of wild flowers and over windswept passes to San Luis Valley and the Horsethief Basin. The trip is for horse enthusiasts and high country lovers, enabling true adventurers to disappear into a lost world with comfortable camps, world class guides, serious food and the best mountain trained horses in Colorado – a tremendous, unforgettable ride.